Chains and chain alternatives....

I've seen drivers doing 45+ MPH with chains slung on. Crazy, dumb ##########, those drivers are.

Wish I never had to sling iron in my forty years. I couldn't feel my fingertips for a couple of weeks to #### often after chaining up in cold, dark windy conditions, even with four pairs of gloves to change
out on the defroster.

Too old to be doing that anymore. Chain controls up, I am stopped, period! No more iron for me!

 

If your in Canada, just get real chains. And learn how to put them on, Its not that hard, and it doesn't take that long.

 

Used chains in th oil fields and coal mines, you can probably use the socks for when your in the dock stuck on ice

 

If it's winter on our routes, you end up hanging chains. It's part of the job. If the road is open, hang the chains already and go. Quit whining. Buy some decent gloves, put on the provided raingear, and make sure you get the #%^&&*# chains on tight.

That is all. You will now be returned to your regularly scheduled programming.

 

Never have I thrown chains on a truck I drive since having a cdl, but I have thrown them many nights when with my dad doing farm milk pick ups during a blizzard. 2006-7 storm in PA comes to mind. All night long too pick up milk, when we got to the dairy, dang thing was closed for the weather and there were 20-30 loaded tankers sitting outside the bays.

You know it's bad when the dairy closes.

Milk does not wait for the weather.

And to keep my post in line with the op, nothing beats iron chains.

 

My god hanging chains is not hard just gotta know how to do it properly.

 

I've got 4 singles on the outside drives and two drags down too slightly less than 20 minutes. Not counting rolling to get those last few cams. And the mile check.

Ain't gonna here my chains sawing a hole in the floor.

 

Hanging three sets of chains takes about 45 minutes. Taking them off takes 15.

It's a rotten, cold, wet, nasty job. It's also not that big a deal.

If you're driving in WA, OR, CA, there will be MANDATORY chain rules up 1/2 the winter. They throw those chain laws up at the drop of a hat, usually not even when it's really needed.
If you NEED them? You should probably sit tight if you can. If you don't? You can sit and hope for the best (bear in mind, this might be 2 days) or just suck it up and chain up.

Chaining costs me an hour a shot. If I have to do it twice vs an 18-hour sit, I've made more money (by a lot) than sitting.

As always, if you don't feel safe, DO NOT DRIVE. Period.

 

I'm a relative noob here, so bear with me. If there's mandatory chains up and I have a hope that will change, I will wait. If not, i'll chain up. If I think it's not safe WITHOUT chains, I will sit. If I NEED chains, it's too hazardous. But I will also not sit 6 hours over a 45 minute BS mandatory chainup.

 

The cleats you're talking about are generally referred to as "cheater chains". They're for getting out of a jam (example, you get stuck in a dock), not for continuous driving.
There are videos on Autosocks, they're legal here in Washington, but I don't think for the passes. Probably only in town or for general highway use.
Here in Washington, chaining to get over the pass is just a fact of life. Two of my coworkers cross over Snoqualmie pass every night. Last season, they chained up literally every night for about a month straight. The job has to be done.